In-Box Review

about the figure

The Greek goddess Athena is said to be the offspring of Zeus alone, but that was only after the Oceanid Metis became pregant and Zeus swallowed her. By swallowing the Oceanid and her unborn child, Zeus became pregnant with Athena. Zeus wasn't built to deliver a baby, and he seems to have gestated the baby in his head. The solution: Hephaestus (or Prometheus) struck open Zeus' head with an axe to release the goddess Athena, who emerged from her father's head fully armed.

Athena was the goddess of wisdom and crafts and the patron goddess of Athens, but she was also a goddess of war. She helped many of the Greek heroes, especially crafty Odysseus. Athene is also known for turning Arachne into a spider. Athene is known by the Romans as the goddess Minerva.

box

Inside the box, there is an A4 paper sheet including historical info about Athena-Minerva and painting instructions for this figure. This document is represented in 2 languages; Italian and English. The historical search of this figure and translation is made by Riccardo Carrabino.

Parts are well protected between two slabs of thick white polyfoam and figure base is placed under the polyfoam not to damage the figure parts.

parts

The figure is sculpted by Italian master sculptor Andrea Jula and made up of 7 white metal parts. All parts are cast clean and crisp in very good details. No need for a serious clean up, filling or sanding, there is only a small excess metal to clean inside the shield..

The main part is full body with head. She wears an Ionic Chiton, the basic garment worn by Greek women up to the beginning of the sixth century B.C. This garment covers the body from neck to toes. Cloth folds of the garment are well defined. Over her chiton, she wears the Aegis, a goatskin breastplate which had a fringe of snakes symbolizing Medusa. According to the myth; Athena helped Perseus to slay Medusa and when Perseus killed the gorgon Medusa, whose face turned men to stone, he gave the gorgon head to Athena, and the goddess placed it on her aegis. The details ofthe breastplate are very well represented in the figure. Face details and hair on the back are also well defined. She wears a Roman style helmet with 3 crest-main and 2 side crests. The holes on the helmet make the crests assembly easier.

Other parts are ;

Right arm : Chiton covers the upper arm and she carries a wide metal bracelet on her wrist. The pin on the wrist makes the right hand assembly easy and good fit.

Right hand : Posed to grab the spear. Position of the hand holding the spear looks very realistic.

Crests : 1 main long crest and 2 short side crests are supplied in the kit. The holder of the main crest of Athenas helmet symbolizes Sphinx and side crests symbolize the wingsof Pegasus. Those details are very well represented on the figure parts. Crests make good fit to the holes on the helmet.

Shield : >She carries a Hoplon, deeply dished, large bronze shield with an angled rim. Interior details like arm-grip and hand-grip are well defined. Though Minerva typically was depicted with the head of Medusa on her shield, different shield patterns like Pegasus wings or an owl symbolizing the wisdom can be seen in ancient Greek vases.

Figure base : The ground made of rectangular stones as in Greek temples is supplied in the kit.

conclusion

Highs: Very nicely cast quality as in all Romeo figures. Small details on breastplate and crests are sculpted and casted perfect.Lows: A more detailed figure base could make the figure look better.Verdict: Another unique figure from Romeo. Fewer parts make the assembly easy and perfect details on small parts worth to notice.

Born in 1962,married and having 2 sons. I started modelling about 8 years old building USS Fletcher with mom. It was a model dad brought from USA., I think in those days only a few people in Turkey had info on scale model kits. Grown as an AF officer son , I built many aircraft models in years. Som...

Paul my friend,
I also hesitate the subject may not be address to many modelers but I check the figure closely and I can say the Medusa head on the breastplate, Sphinx holder of the main crest and the Pegasus designs on the side crests are incredibly good sculpted and cast.
bestest regards